Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-03
TALKING TEMPERANCE.
Last Evenings Union Service at
the Christian Chapel.
Uniting OF the Down Town Churche S
Sermon by Rev. i, w. Read on
the saloon.

The down town churches united in a
temperance meeting at the Christian
chapel last evening on which occasion
the edifice was crowded TO its fullest
crpacity. The sermon was preached by
Rev. !. W. Read. his subject being
1.-THE Saloon; What it is and Does" Mr..
Read took his sermon from Matthew
7:1S.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Meth
er can corrupt tree bring forth good fruit
The following is the synopsis Of Mr..
Reads remarks:
The principles set forth in these words
are as correct as the laws of nature can
be. No man would expect to gather
apples from thorn tree, neither would
he look for thistles upon the peach tree.
The good produces the good and the evil
that which is evil. The same law holds
good in things affecting the morals of
men. II you desired good. faithful,
trusty man TO whom you could entrust
your interests, you would not make your
4 stltCtlOu hun tuC cdlOOu anu
loafers. You know you could not get
such man there as you would want.
The saloon does not produce good, hon
est, Woodworking faithful men. | an
| not here tonight to say bitter hard
thing against a single keeper of a saloon.
Ny thought is upon the business in which
he is engaged All the blows | can
strike desire to aim at the traffic, and
not at the men engaged in it; though do
| wish the men were better morally than
they are.
| First | desire to notice in the first
| place our relation to this traffic. We are
all related to it in some way, and | think
| can tell you how. ~ We call the
saloon into existence and therefore sane
ton its work. / sanction the work of
the church, became believe in it. do
everything can to advance its interests
and to multiply its influence. This we
do when we call the saloon into being.
In this way we affirm that the saloon is
desirable thing. and thus recommend il
to the people. (2) We not only call it into
existence, but we pledge our protection
to il, Every man in this state is pledged
by the laws to protect every saloon. And
they are protected; and We DO it. They
are protected, aud their business made
legitimate along with other business,
Second. Let us see what this business
is which We so carefully, by special legis
lation protect. G) 1t is business from
which nothing good comes; | challenge
any man TO produce single instance
where the liquor traffic ever accomplished
la good thing. 1t never produced food for
any one; it never clothed single person
it never stocked any mans farm with the
necessary implements for work; it never
filled shelf with useful books for the
lproper development of the intellect; it
never surrounded any home with comforts
and adornments, except at the expense Of
imultitudes of others. No good thing
has ever come out of the business. II
this be true, it must be gigantic evil. q
) 1t encourages idleness. 1t is the hot bee
, of lo8fers. The man who frequents
saloon is drifting into ways of idenes
and shiftlessness. Everybody knows thi
to be true. 81 1t breeds vice and crime
, Just as certain conditions of filth breed
vermin, so the saloon is breeder Of vic
and crime. You do not have to go out o
your own city to know this. Who ar
| the criminals of this country today2 A
r least seven-tenths of them are made l.
the common dram shop. A saloon wa
the place where the murder on Christina
: night was committed, or at least was tn
e cause OF it. a The saloon defies law
: This is truth too patent to need argu
lment The law Gays these places sha
not be open on the Lords day, and yt
you and know they are The law say
s liquor shall no: be sold to hsbitual drum
,. ards, but you know it is. The law
4 plain against Its sale to minors, and "
boys are seen drunk upon the streets Is
II The saloon is foe to the home, Ii
Is school and the church 1t does not beal
tify the home, but strikes ut it o dead
blow, by making the son or father beas
and destroying domestic harmony. 1t
Il foe to the school, because it paralyz'
, intellectual vigor. 1t is foe TO Ii
), church, because positively opposed {
D. everything good. This is the thin
n which christian men call into existenC
: and protect By law.